Cultural Proximity And Cultural Distance

Japan is home to millions of individuals. All of them with different beliefs, religions, and traditions. Japan has a long and influential visual arts history. More specifically, the Japanese film industry has had a large influence on the cinematic world stage. Due to Japans tragic and destructive history, several different categories of society were affected. Their economic industry and visual arts industry are just some examples. Japans history has had consequences on both its social and political sectors. These reactions/repercussions can be seen in Japans film industry. In my paper, I will be looking at the political and social issues involved in the movies Spirited Away and Roshamon. The repercussions of World War 2 are important in understanding both of these Japanese films. The women portrayed in these films are both respected and docile. Moreover, the genres of these films have had a lasting effect on society.

The exporting of American pop culture has been going on ever since America has become a big world power along with other countries. Sometimes we don’t know how westernized we are since it’s all around us. There are some positives to this export to other countries, but there is also negatives. Some negatives to the exportation of American pop culture are the misrepresentation of other societies, teachings of extreme beliefs, and the erasing of other cultures around us.

In America and other countries of similar and contrasting cultures, we like to be right, we like to be on top, and we want to be recognized for both respectively. Competition is an underlying theme in so much of what we do in our daily lives. Whether it’s getting a better grade on a test than your friend, winning a football game or even speeding up faster than the car next to you when the light turns green. Competition, whether we like it or not, surrounds us and we participate in it willingly. We all want to stand on that podium and receive the gold medal, for then we are better than someone else and we can look down upon him or her because we have achieved something they have not. This competition and trying to be better than the person

Manga and anime are a huge part in American and the Japanese culture. Anime and Manga were once used for war, propaganda, and recruitment, but is now used for entertainment and leisure. Anime was not just created by one man but by many working together. Anime has had a long line of history causing it to become more and more loved throughout the years. It not only caused Japan a great deal of money and working jobs but it also influenced more people to see the brighter things in life. Manga was not only just important in anime’s history but it was the cause of it. The time line of huge success in anime started in 1914 with the first manga being created.

Cultural imperialism can be an issue and worsen people’s perception on how they view other cultures they aren’t familiar with. Internet and the entertainment industry are big contributes for serving

“…And we were Japanese with Japanese feelings and Japanese pride and Japanese thoughts because it was all right then to be Japanese and feel and think all things Japanese because one is not born in America and raised in America and taught in America and one does not speak and swear and drink and smoke and play and fight and see and hear in America among Americans in American streets and houses without becoming American and loving it” (16).

American troops invaded many countries and remain with them for a very long time, but nothing quite like the history between America and Japan. America’s presence in Japan has shown to have had grave effects on the country from past to present. The intent of this paper is to discuss how America has altered the Japanese way of life through the incorporation of its military, politics, and culture.

Having a brother in law who married a Japanese girl, Japan seemed a fitting choice for this assignment. The Japanese culture is a world apart from the United States literally and figuratively.

Some people may think this is a bad thing. They’re children are embracing another culture instead of their own. And what is so wrong about that? Would you rather they hated every other culture except their own? The Japanese ‘Boom’ is a way to open minds, expand imaginations, and open doors to new cultures. One child may grow up on anime and go on to learn other cultures. S/He may grow up to be a democratic negotiator, or something of the like because s/he embraced other cultures at an early age.

Geography influences culture in many ways. A civilizations geography determines what kind of god(s) they believe in as well as influences from other cultures. These features provide a stepping stone for cultures that are solely based on geography.

             Japan, that strange and exotic land in the east, has a complex and interesting history that has shaped and molded its culture into a very unique society today.  Of course their customs have influenced their entertainment, especially television and movies.  In a day and age where information is free to all through the internet and reliable postal systems these television shows, movies, toys, and comics have made their way all over the world.  The reception of

From past generations until this present time there were many featured anime here in the Philippines. There are anime that are shown on televisions, some on DVD’s and some are brought to life by the so called “cosplayers”. We can visualize the evolution of Japanese animation from time to time just by noticing the effects, the drawing styles, and mostly the stories.

In the years following the collapse of Asia’s economy in 1998, South Korea turned to alternative exports to assist in both the restructuring of the nation’s financial strength and its reputation in international markets. As a result, pop-cultural exports such as films, television dramas, pop music and celebrities associated with these forms of media discourses have found growing popularity in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan; as well as many other East and Southeast Asian countries. This growing popularity of pop-cultural exports has proved to be a tool in constructing a contemporary national image and encouraged the emergence of the ‘Korean Wave’. According to Huang (2009) ‘Hallyu’ or the ‘Korean Wave’ refers to the “...popularity of South Korean culture in other Asian countries” however, with the increased availability of digital media and the increase of social networking, the definition of Hallyu has recently grown to include Western Societies.

The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterizes the United States--newness, racial heterogeneity, vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism-- is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogeneous society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese

I plan to compare and contrast the dynamic interaction between East Asian countries and the western world via anime and SF trade, information networks or imagination, Techno-Orientalism, fetishization of anime, Western imperialism, and the travel of transnational elites.